Tributes to hit and run victim

Cardiff detectives on Saturday said they were treating a series of road collisions as a murder investigation. The woman who died on Friday was named by local media as 32-year-old Karina Menzies.

In all, there were 14 casualties. Nine of the injured remained in hospital today, two of them adults in a critical condition, police said. Five of those hospitalised were children who doctors hoped to release over the weekend, police said.

Police said they are following up reports that the suspect not only targeted pedestrians but got out of his van and physically assaulted pedestrians. Police told reporters that a weapon may have been used but it was not a firearm and no one was stabbed.

“We are aware the suspect assaulted people outside his vehicle,” Detective Superintendent Paul Hurley from South Wales Police said on Saturday.

Police said they were keeping “an open mind” about what happened. They appealed for help from anyone who had seen either a white van, or a black Renault Clio driving on the wrong side of the road at 3.25pm, five minutes before the series of hit and run incidents.

‘Deliberate’ attacks

Local media reported a 32-year-old woman, thought to be Ms Menzies, died outside a fire station. Police said a team was with the family of the woman who died but did not name her at a press conference on Saturday.

Horrified eyewitnesses said a van mounted the kerb at several locations in what appeared to be a deliberate attempt to target people in five different locations between 3:30pm and 4pm.

“I heard a bang. I looked out and across the road one girl was on the floor and the other girl was screaming,” said local sub-postmaster Shady Taha, adding that she heard a van driving away but did not see it.

S.Wales Police have 31 yr old local man in custody. No suggestion anyone else involved. 70 officers now deployed.

— Andy Davies (@adavies4) October 20, 2012

Police say witnesses saw suspect allegedly assault people outside his white Iveco van. They’re trying to recover a weapon (not firearm).

— Andy Davies (@adavies4) October 20, 2012

Tributes

Floral tributes have been laid on the street by local people and tributes were paid to Ms Menzies on social networking sites. A service was planned at 5pm on Sunday at the Church of the Resurrection in the Cardiff area of Ely to pray for the casualties.

Dr Grahame Shortland, medical director at the University Hospital of Wales, said the injured mainly had fractures and head injuries.

“Incidents like this are extremely rare here, as they are across south Wales, and we want to reassure the public that a significant number of officers are working on the investigation, including a number of specialist resources,” Superintendent Julian Williams said.

Motivation questioned

“I have been deeply shocked by these events and my thoughts are with the families of those who have been most affected by what’s happened,” said the First Minister of Wales Carwyn Jones.

“A white Iveco transit van was stopped by officers near the Merrie Harrier in Penarth in connection to the incident at around 4pm this afternoon,” police said in a statement. “A 31-year man has been arrested on suspicion of murder and the van has been seized. He remains in custody at Cardiff Bay Police Station.”

Police again on Saturday urged anyone with information about the incidents to contact police on 01656 655555.